Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. ~ Desmond Tutu

Whenever Jupiter stations, it does so when the Sun is trine Jupiter, giving us a slight boost of hope and anticipation for the future. The trine which just took place on Thursday, is leading us up to the Jupiter station on Tuesday. This is when Jupiter appears to come to a standstill, before it will then appear to move Direct once again. For the 4 months that Jupiter has been in its retrograde phase, we’ve been familiarizing ourselves with our own core principles: what we believe in; what are our core values; and what we are willing to stand for. With a trine to compassionate Neptune (creating a Grand Trine with the Sun), the emphasis is about ‘doing the right and moral thing with compassion’.

Jupiter is the planet of wisdom, something we all have in potential, but which needs to be cultivated. Neptune is a planet of transcendence, awareness, and Being. Through Neptune we come to understand our interconnectedness with each other, and with all of life. Jupiter inspires us to have a vision. Neptune raises that vision to a higher, more meaningful level of expression. One’s dreams and ideals take on a much wider scope when these two work together: cultivating a stronger sense of spiritual destiny and community; finding those people sho share similar ideals; finding inner guidance; cultivating a compassionate heart for broader humanitarian concerns, social justice and human rights. It’s about opening our hearts to a greater purpose.

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. ~ Helen Keller

Jupiter is joie de vivre; Jupiter is the chick emerging from the egg; the hope for a brand new day, where a kernel of hope and joy emerges. Opportunities arise, doors open, we receive positive confirmation, and optimism is restored. While Jupiter is in retrograde it often appears as if abundance is withdrawn. Now that it appears to be moving forwards again, there is greater hope for expansion, growth and reward. Jupiter is in the sign of Scorpio, a sign of deep mystical and magical importance, that also has to do with shared values, resources, and understanding the power of knowledge and wisdom. Jupiter has domain over education, guides, teachers, travel, foreign relations, morals and ethics, judgments and systems of belief. A vision that was put on hold earlier this year, may now have the opportunity to finally move forward and be fulfilled. May we all be guided by Jupiter’s magnanimous glory to follow the path of generosity, wisdom, and understanding.

We’re going to need this wisdom and understanding to guide us through these upcoming months, as we are now entering a powerful season of Eclipses. The first of these is a partial Solar Eclipse on Thursday (Friday), July 12th (or 13th), in the sign of Cancer. It will also exactly oppose the Dark Lord Pluto. Cancer is a sign associated with families, with infants, with mothers, nurturing and empathy. Pluto is the abductor, the oppressor, and can sometimes symbolize the dark forces in the world. If this resonates with recent events that recently came to light in the United States with the immigrant families and children at the border, this is because this is one of the eclipse stories needing to be reconciled this season. Events related to eclipses can begin weeks in advance, and continue to resonate for months afterwards, as their consequences unfold. The separation of the children from their families is an ominous portent of things that may be, if we as a people (Cancer), do not reclaim our power (Pluto). This is no ordinary New Moon.

Interestingly, Pluto also has domain over caves and the underworld, and just this past week a team of young soccer players became trapped within a cave in Thailand. They have since been found weakened, but alive and well. And now the difficult task of bringing them again to the surface is proving to be something of a daunting task. May Jupiter, soon to be station Direct in the Plutonian sign of Scorpio, be their protector and guide in this difficult time. There will be more on the Solar Eclipse in next week’s post.